Welcome to our family website! Feel free to browse around: read our blog page to see what we've been up to, and view our photos; we hope you can get to know us better. We would love to get to know you too!
 About Annie Growing Up I
grew up loving the arts and music. My dad is a gallery director, so we
were always visiting the museums wherever we went as a family. I
started piano when I was three played clarinet in marching band even into college. I still
tinker on the piano when I get a chance. I also "tinker" with art--I've
tried drawing and watercoloring, and am now involved with designing my
own earrings, which I love because I get to wear what I make!College & Study Abroad In
college I majored in Elementary Education (I love teaching kids and and
getting to be creative!) I also studied abroad for a semester in
Vienna, Austria and studied right next door to the
Vienna Opera House. I traveled and saw some of the most amazing sights I have ever seen--the Swiss
Alps, and real Van Gogh paintings--my favorite! And I got to tickle my taste buds with new foods like real Italian gelato. Yum!Dating & Marriage Right after my study abroad, I
started dating Dave! We had been friends beforehand, and he had emailed
regularly me while I was away. I never thought he would ask me out! But, he did and the rest is history. We got married the next
summer, graduated from college together, and moved to sunny Arizona.On Dave Dave is my best friend and confidante--we love talking and being together! He is the best hubby--a great listener, a hard worker, honest, and down-to-earth. And I have just loved watching him be a daddy--no one can do lego towers like he does! It has been the best seven years of my life and each year gets better as we grow and experience life together. My family means everything to me. Being a Mommy I am a stay at home mom, and I consider it the best job in the world. I spend my day with my sweet four-year-old, Daniel, and we have little adventures. I trade with some other mommies for "joy school," which Daniel loves. We also love to walk to the library, dance to "band" music, or visit the zoo. It's great! Daniel also likes to help me at home--his job is to set the table for dinner and help with any mixing that needs to be done. Licking the batter spoon is a highlight if we are making treats!:) Likes I like to make good food and eat it! I love to try out new recipes. And I really do have a sweet tooth for ice cream and anything chocolatey and gooey. Mmmmmmm. I love escaping with a good book when I get the chance. I'm also a bargain hunting shopper--I actually enjoy finding the best price around and can spend hours at the thrift store! I'm also a traveler. I like to plan out family trips and see new places. When we went to New York this fall, I checked out every book on NY" from the library months before we left. |  Favorite Activities Well, I love exploring new places. One of my favorite things to do is to go someplace where I've never been before. I have slowly been trying to see every last nook and cranny of Arizona, and I still have a ways to go. I love maps: while Annie can read through cookbooks and art compilations, I can spend hours looking at maps. I think Arizona is a wonderful place to explore; personally, I think the best trip exploring ends at a beautiful stream hidden and tucked away off the beaten path. Hobbies I enjoy music and singing. When I get a free moment, I like to play the piano. I am not that great, but that's okay! I also love singing in our church choir. I enjoy listening to classical music: some favorites are Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Chopin, and Dvorak. I am a reader. I don't have much patience for TV or movies -- books are so much more fun. I am the kind of person that can't hardly put a good book down. I normally can't seem to stay up much past 11 PM, but if I am reading a good book I'll be reading every free minute of the day and stay up until 3 AM every night until I finish it! I also like to blog. I try to keep up a family blog and update it as often as possible. When I'm home and have free time, I often like to solve little engineering or math problems. Yes, it does sound kind of dorky, but I do enjoy it. I usually have a few pet projects that I spend a little time on here and there. A recent one was a movie rating system that predicted your rating for a movie before you had seen it (turns out to be very similar to the Netflix ratings). Work & Family I do have to work though -- I am an Electrical Engineer and do research and development work for a company here in Arizona. I am one of the lucky few who enjoys their work! I can't think of anything else that I'd rather be doing -- well, anything else that pays money at least. I love being a dad, and I like being at home as much as possible. I am grateful for a job that doesn't require long hours away from my family. I love my family, and I think Annie is the most wonderful woman, and every day I feel so blessed that she is a part of my life. Our boy Daniel is very sweet and kind. He is also a little shy and quiet around new people, a lot like myself when I was a kid. More photos of Dave... More about Dave's parenting style... More about Dave and Annie's views on adoption... | About Daniel I am a sweet little five year old who loves his mommy! I love to do puzzles and mazes. I love to look at books with my flashlight under the covers and read books with my mom and dad. My current favorites to listen to are the magic treehouse books. I am a big fan of cheese. Give me cheese on bread, cheese on rice, or macaroni and cheese and I am happy! I also love grapes and strawberries. And I always get excited about popcorn or treats. I like going on outings and seeing new things. It's a special treat if I get to ride on a bus or train--so exciting! I'm even a good shopper and like to help Mommy pick out the fruits and veggies. I also love camping, especially if it involves throwing rocks in a creek or lake! I'm a little on the shy side, especially with new people, but given a little time and I'm back to myself. I like to play with kids my age and I love going to kindergarten! At home I build legos with my friends. I also love to play a crazy game we play as a family called "Eat the Box" where we have to pick up a box just using our mouth. It is so funny! More photos of Daniel... |
